US20200379037A1 - Aligning mechanism and aligning method - Google Patents
Aligning mechanism and aligning method Download PDFInfo
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- US20200379037A1 US20200379037A1 US15/930,601 US202015930601A US2020379037A1 US 20200379037 A1 US20200379037 A1 US 20200379037A1 US 202015930601 A US202015930601 A US 202015930601A US 2020379037 A1 US2020379037 A1 US 2020379037A1
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- mounting table
- holding section
- shell
- wafer
- probe card
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G01R31/00—Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere
- G01R31/28—Testing of electronic circuits, e.g. by signal tracer
- G01R31/2851—Testing of integrated circuits [IC]
- G01R31/2886—Features relating to contacting the IC under test, e.g. probe heads; chucks
- G01R31/2887—Features relating to contacting the IC under test, e.g. probe heads; chucks involving moving the probe head or the IC under test; docking stations
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G01R31/00—Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere
- G01R31/28—Testing of electronic circuits, e.g. by signal tracer
- G01R31/2851—Testing of integrated circuits [IC]
- G01R31/2855—Environmental, reliability or burn-in testing
- G01R31/286—External aspects, e.g. related to chambers, contacting devices or handlers
- G01R31/2865—Holding devices, e.g. chucks; Handlers or transport devices
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G01R31/00—Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere
- G01R31/28—Testing of electronic circuits, e.g. by signal tracer
- G01R31/2851—Testing of integrated circuits [IC]
- G01R31/2893—Handling, conveying or loading, e.g. belts, boats, vacuum fingers
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G01R1/00—Details of instruments or arrangements of the types included in groups G01R5/00 - G01R13/00 and G01R31/00
- G01R1/02—General constructional details
- G01R1/04—Housings; Supporting members; Arrangements of terminals
- G01R1/0408—Test fixtures or contact fields; Connectors or connecting adaptors; Test clips; Test sockets
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G01R1/00—Details of instruments or arrangements of the types included in groups G01R5/00 - G01R13/00 and G01R31/00
- G01R1/02—General constructional details
- G01R1/04—Housings; Supporting members; Arrangements of terminals
- G01R1/0408—Test fixtures or contact fields; Connectors or connecting adaptors; Test clips; Test sockets
- G01R1/0491—Test fixtures or contact fields; Connectors or connecting adaptors; Test clips; Test sockets for testing integrated circuits on wafers, e.g. wafer-level test cartridge
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G01R31/00—Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere
- G01R31/28—Testing of electronic circuits, e.g. by signal tracer
- G01R31/2851—Testing of integrated circuits [IC]
- G01R31/2855—Environmental, reliability or burn-in testing
- G01R31/286—External aspects, e.g. related to chambers, contacting devices or handlers
- G01R31/2865—Holding devices, e.g. chucks; Handlers or transport devices
- G01R31/2867—Handlers or transport devices, e.g. loaders, carriers, trays
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G01R31/00—Arrangements for testing electric properties; Arrangements for locating electric faults; Arrangements for electrical testing characterised by what is being tested not provided for elsewhere
- G01R31/28—Testing of electronic circuits, e.g. by signal tracer
- G01R31/2851—Testing of integrated circuits [IC]
- G01R31/2886—Features relating to contacting the IC under test, e.g. probe heads; chucks
- G01R31/2891—Features relating to contacting the IC under test, e.g. probe heads; chucks related to sensing or controlling of force, position, temperature
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/68—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for positioning, orientation or alignment
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/683—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping
- H01L21/6838—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping with gripping and holding devices using a vacuum; Bernoulli devices
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/683—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping
- H01L21/687—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches
- H01L21/68714—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches the wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support
- H01L21/68742—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches the wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support characterised by a lifting arrangement, e.g. lift pins
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/683—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping
- H01L21/687—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches
- H01L21/68714—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches the wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support
- H01L21/68785—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches the wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to an aligning mechanism and an aligning method.
- the inspection apparatus includes multiple inspection units, a shared transport robot or a mobile stage.
- the inspection apparatus while the transport robot or the mobile stage is loading a substrate to one of the inspection units, the other inspection units can perform inspection (see Patent Document 1 for example).
- Patent Document 1 Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Publication No. 2016-046285
- the present disclosure provides a technique for aligning a substrate for inspection.
- An aligning mechanism includes a mounting table on which a substrate is placed; a holding section configured to hold the mounting table from below; lifting pins configured to raise or lower the mounting table with respect to the holding section; and an aligner configured to support the holding section from below, and to change a position of the holding section relative to the lifting pins.
- through-holes are formed such that the lifting pins can penetrate the through-holes.
- FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an inspection system
- FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a shell
- FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a displacement prevention mechanism
- FIG. 4 is a top view for explaining the displacement prevention mechanism
- FIGS. 5A and 5B are enlarged views each illustrating a part of FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vacuum leak prevention mechanism of the shell
- FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of the vacuum leak prevention mechanism of the shell.
- FIGS. 8A to 8D are diagrams illustrating an example of the operation of the vacuum leak prevention mechanism of FIG. 7 ;
- FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating another example of the shell.
- FIGS. 10A to 10E are diagrams illustrating an example of the operation performed by an aligning mechanism
- FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a first temperature adjustment mechanism
- FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a second temperature adjustment mechanism
- FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a tester
- FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of an overdrive amount adjusting mechanism
- FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating another example of the overdrive amount adjusting mechanism
- FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process of a maintenance support function.
- FIG. 17 is a graph for explaining an example of the maintenance support function.
- the inspection system inspects various electrical characteristics of devices under test (DUTs) formed on an object to be inspected, by applying electric signals to the DUTs.
- DUTs devices under test
- An example of the object to be inspected includes a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a “wafer”).
- FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an inspection system. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the inspection system 1 includes multiple inspection units 100 , a transport system 200 , and a management device 300 .
- the multiple inspection units 100 are arranged side by side in a lateral direction (X direction in FIG. 1 ) and in a longitudinal direction (Y direction in FIG. 1 ) in the same plane.
- Each of the inspection units 100 includes multiple inspection devices 110 and a chiller 120 .
- Each of the inspection devices 110 receives a shell 10 that is conveyed by a cassette unit 220 to be described below, and inspects the electrical characteristics of each DUT formed on a wafer 11 .
- Each of the inspection devices 110 includes a controller 116 that controls the overall operation of the corresponding inspection device 110 . Details of the shell 10 will be described below.
- the chiller 120 cools stages 111 (see FIG. 12 ) in the inspection devices 110 by supplying a refrigerant, such as cooling water, to a refrigerant passage provided in the stages 111 .
- a refrigerant such as cooling water
- one chiller 120 is provided for four inspection devices 110 .
- a separate chiller 120 may be provided for each inspection device 110 .
- the transport system 200 includes multiple loader units 210 and multiple cassette units 220 .
- the multiple loader units 210 are arranged in the longitudinal direction (Y direction in FIG. 1 ) in the same plane.
- Each of the loader units 210 includes a FOUP stocker 211 , a probe card stocker 212 , a needle polishing section 213 , a shell stocker 214 , an attaching/detaching section 215 , and a transport section 216 .
- the FOUP stocker 211 is an area for storing vessels for transfer (i.e.: front opening unified pod [FOUP]) that accommodate multiple wafers 11 .
- the FOUP stocker 211 is provided with, for example, multiple storage shelves for storing FOUPs.
- FOUPs are stored into the FOUP stocker 211 from outside of the inspection system 1 .
- the FOUP stocker 211 is accessible by a transport device 216 a in a transport section 216 , which will be described below.
- a probe card stocker 212 is an area for storing multiple probe cards 12 .
- the probe card stocker 212 includes, for example, multiple storage shelves for storing probe cards 12 .
- Probe cards 12 are placed into the probe card stocker 212 from outside of the inspection system 1 .
- the probe card stocker 212 is accessible by the transport device 216 a in the transport section 216 , which will be described below.
- the needle polishing section 213 is an area in which the tip of a probe 12 b in the probe card 12 is polished, to repair the probe 12 b to which dust or the like is attached.
- the needle polishing section 213 is provided with a needle polishing board for polishing the tip of the probe 12 b, for example.
- the needle polishing section 213 is accessible by the transport device 216 a in the transport section 216 to be described below.
- the shell stocker 214 is an area for storing multiple shells 10 .
- the shell stocker 214 includes, for example, multiple storage shelves for storing shells 10 .
- the shell stocker 214 stores shells 10 having been assembled in the attaching/detaching section 215 and/or shells 10 having been inspected by the inspection unit 100 .
- the shell stocker 214 is accessible by the transport device 216 a in the transport section 216 and the cassette unit 220 , which will be described below.
- the attaching/detaching section 215 is an area for assembling the shell 10 into which the wafer 11 and the probe card 12 are integrated, and is also an area for dismantling the shell 10 into the wafer 11 and the probe card 12 .
- the wafer 11 is aligned by an aligner 215 a (see FIGS. 10A to 10E ) with the wafer 11 attracted and held on a mounting table 13 , and the probes 12 b of the probe card 12 are connected to respective electrodes of the DUTs by causing the probes 12 b to contact the respective electrodes.
- the shell 10 is formed.
- the attaching/detaching section 215 a set of the wafer 11 and the probe card 12 that is integrated as the shell 10 is dismantled.
- the attaching/detaching section 215 is accessible by the transport device 216 a in the transport section 216 , which will be described below.
- the transport section 216 is an area that conveys the shell 10 , the wafer 11 , and the probe card 12 between the areas.
- the transport section 216 is provided with the transport device 216 a that conveys the shell 10 , the wafer 11 , and the probe card 12 .
- the transport device 216 a holds the shell 10 , the wafer 11 and the probe card 12 , and transports them between the areas.
- the transport device 216 a conveys the shell 10 between the attaching/detaching section 215 and the shell stocker 214 .
- the transport device 216 a conveys the wafer 11 between the FOUP stocker 211 and the attaching/detaching section 215 .
- the transport device 216 a conveys the probe card 12 between the probe card stocker 212 , the needle polishing section 213 , and the attaching/detaching section 215 .
- Each of the cassette units 220 is a mobile unit that stores multiple shells 10 and supplies the shells 10 to multiple inspection units 100 .
- each of the cassette units 220 transports the shell 10 between the shell stocker 214 in the loader unit 210 and the stage 111 of the inspection device 110 .
- An example of the cassette unit 220 includes an automated guided vehicle (AGV).
- the cassette unit 220 runs automatically along a guide line 225 , such as a magnetic tape laid on a floor.
- the management device 300 controls operations of the multiple cassette units 220 , based on position information of the multiple cassette units 220 measured by a positioning device (not illustrated). For example, the management device 300 determines which cassette unit 220 should be directed to the inspection device 110 , based on the position information of the multiple cassette units 220 as measured by the positioning device. For example, the management device 300 may determine that the cassette unit 220 positioned closest to an inspection device 110 of interest should be directed to the inspection device 110 . The management device 300 may also calculate an optimum route in a case in which the determined cassette unit 220 transports the shell 10 , and may operate the cassette unit 220 to cause the cassette unit 220 to pass through the optimum route.
- the management device 300 may acquire the number of the shells 10 stored in a storage section 221 of each of the cassette units 220 , and control operations of the multiple cassette units 220 based on the acquired number of the shells 10 .
- the management device 300 may preferentially operate the cassette unit 220 that includes the most shells 10 .
- the positioning device is not limited to any particular type of positioning device, so long as it can measure and acquire position information of each of the multiple cassette units 220 .
- An example of a suitable positioning device includes a set of position detecting sensors, each of which is disposed on the guide lines 225 and is capable of detecting passage of the cassette unit 220 .
- the positioning device may be, for example, GNSS receivers, which are installed in the respective cassette units 220 to measure and acquire position information of the cassette units 220 , by receiving a positioning signal from a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellite such as a GPS satellite.
- GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System
- FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the shell 10 .
- the shell 10 is a structure including the wafer 11 , the probe card 12 , the mounting table 13 , and a holder 14 .
- Multiple DUTs are formed on a surface of the wafer 11 .
- the probe card 12 is an example of an interconnect member, and includes a base 12 a and multiple probes 12 b.
- the base 12 a is a plate-like member having multiple terminals (not illustrated) on an upper surface of the base 12 a.
- the multiple probes 12 b are an example of a contacting part, and are provided on the lower surface of the base 12 a .
- the probes 12 b can contact the electrodes of the DUTs formed on the wafer 11 .
- the mounting table 13 is used to place the wafer 11 on an upper surface of the mounting table 13 .
- An example of the mounting table 13 is a vacuum chuck that draws and holds the wafer 11 .
- Inside the mounting table 13 is a temperature adjusting section 13 a for adjusting a temperature of the wafer 11 placed on the upper surface of the mounting table 13 .
- the temperature adjusting section 13 a may be, for example, a Peltier device.
- the holder 14 is an example of a second holding section, and is provided on the mounting table 13 via a sealing member 16 a.
- the holder 14 has an annular shape surrounding the wafer 11 , and holds an outer periphery of the probe card 12 .
- a sealing member 16 b is provided on a surface at which the probe card 12 contacts the holder 14 .
- the shell 10 is positioned by positioning pins (not illustrated) while the shell 10 is attracted to the stage 111 of the inspection device 110 , and multiple terminals on the upper surface of the probe card 12 are electrically connected to respective terminals on the inspection device 110 . Also, on the upper surface of the probe card 12 , a sealing member 16 c is provided.
- precise positioning e.g., alignment
- the shell 10 is assembled at the same location (e.g., loader unit 210 ). This facilitates transport (handling) of the wafer 11 (shell 10 ) among multiple devices, such as an inspection device and a test device.
- the sealing members 16 a and 16 b and an interior of the shell 10 are decompressed, the DUTs formed on the wafer 11 and the probes 12 b of the probe card 12 remain in contact with each other.
- the interior is maintained in a decompressed state.
- it is difficult to always evacuate the interior of the shell 10 it is difficult to always evacuate the interior of the shell 10 . Therefore, for example, by using a “(2) vacuum leak prevention mechanism”, which will be described below the pressure within the shell 10 is made to be lower than the exterior, so that the interior of the shell 10 is maintained in a decompressed state.
- An overdrive amount in the shell 10 is managed by, for example, an “(5) overdrive amount adjusting mechanism” which will be described below.
- the overdrive amount means an amount of movement of the probe 12 b by pressing the probe 12 b toward a wafer 11 , from a point at which the probe 12 b first comes in contact with electrodes of DUTs formed on the wafer 11 .
- the alignment of the wafer 11 (electrodes of each DUT) to the probe card 12 (probes 12 b ) when assembling the shell 10 is realized by, for example, an “(3) aligning mechanism” to be described below.
- a motor drive is used for the alignment.
- various motors are used in the inspection system 1 .
- each of the motors is managed by, for example, a “(6) Maintenance support function” which will be described below.
- the shell 10 is subjected to temperature control during transportation and inspection by, for example, a “(4) temperature adjustment mechanism” which will be described later.
- FIGS. 3 and 4 are a cross-sectional view and a top view, respectively, for explaining the displacement prevention mechanism.
- FIGS. 5A and 5B are enlarged views each illustrating a part of FIG. 3 .
- the displacement prevention mechanism 17 includes positioning pins 17 a and universal sockets 17 b.
- the multiple (e.g., eight) positioning pins 17 a are arranged along a circumferential direction of the holder 14 .
- Each of the positioning pins 17 a is secured to the upper surface of the mounting table 13 .
- each of the universal sockets 17 b is provided at a position corresponding to a corresponding one of the positioning pins 17 a in the horizontal direction, as illustrated in FIG. 4 . That is, the multiple (e.g., eight) universal sockets 17 b are arranged along the circumferential direction of the holder 14 . Each of the universal sockets 17 b is secured to the holder 14 .
- Each of the universal sockets 17 b includes, as illustrated in FIG. 5A for example, a socket 17 b 1 , multiple springs 17 b 2 , and multiple pins 17 b 3 .
- the socket 17 b 1 is secured to the holder 14 .
- the socket 17 b 1 has a shape of a cylinder having a ceiling, and has an opening at a bottom end of the socket 17 b 1 .
- the socket 17 b 1 is larger than the positioning pins 17 a in a planar view so as to cover the positioning pin 17 a.
- the socket 17 b 1 accommodates the multiple springs 17 b 2 , and secures an upper end of each of the multiple springs 17 b 2 .
- each of the multiple springs 17 b 2 is secured to a ceiling surface of the socket 17 b 1 .
- a corresponding one of the pins 17 b 3 is attached to a lower end of each of the multiple springs 17 b 2 .
- Each of the multiple springs 17 b 2 is configured to compress when the corresponding pin 17 b 3 is pressed upward.
- each of the multiple pins 17 b 3 is secured to the lower end of the corresponding spring 17 b 2 .
- Each of the pins 17 b 3 has a diameter smaller than that of the positioning pin 17 a.
- the positioning pin 17 a is positioned by the universal socket 17 b.
- FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the example of the vacuum leak prevention mechanism of the shell 10 .
- a vacuum leak prevention mechanism 18 includes a passage for decompression 18 a, a syringe-type piston 18 b, and a spring 18 c.
- the passage for decompression 18 a is a gas flow passage formed inside the mounting table 13 , and causes the interior of the shell 10 to communicate with the exterior.
- the syringe-type piston 18 b has a syringe (barrel) 18 b 1 and a piston 18 b 2 .
- An outlet port 18 b 3 of the syringe (barrel) 18 b 1 communicates with the inside of the passage for decompression 18 a.
- the spring 18 c is secured at one end, and the other end of the spring 18 c is attached to the piston 18 b 2 .
- the spring 18 c is configured to compress as the pressure inside the shell 10 increases.
- the vacuum leak prevention mechanism 18 when the pressure inside the shell 10 increases, the spring 18 c compresses and the piston 18 b 2 is pulled, thereby maintaining the decompressed state inside the shell 10 .
- FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of the vacuum leak prevention mechanism of the shell 10 .
- a vacuum leak prevention mechanism 19 includes a passage for decompression 19 a, a rotor 19 b, and a rod 19 c.
- the passage for decompression 19 a is a gas flow passage formed inside the mounting table 13 to cause the interior of the shell 10 to communicate with the exterior.
- the rotor 19 b is disposed on the side surface of the mounting table 13 , so as to rotate with respect to the mounting table 13 .
- a sealing member 19 d is provided between the side surface of the mounting table 13 and the rotor 19 b.
- a gas flow passage 19 e that can communicate with the passage for decompression 19 a is formed inside the rotor 19 b.
- the state of the gas flow passage 19 e is switched between one in which the gas flow passage 19 e communicates with the passage for decompression 19 a and one in which it does not communicate with the passage for decompression 19 a.
- FIG. 7 illustrates the state in which the gas flow passage 19 e communicates with the passage for decompression 19 a.
- the rod 19 c is provided in the gas flow passage 19 e, and the rod 19 c can move while maintaining airtightness.
- the passage for decompression 19 a is in communication with the gas flow passage 19 e
- the pressure inside the shell 10 increases as the rod 19 c is pushed toward the shell 10
- the pressure inside the shell 10 decreases as the rod 19 c is pulled outward.
- the passage for decompression 19 a is not in communication with the gas flow passage 19 e
- gas in the gas flow passage 19 e is discharged to the outside of the shell 10 through a gap between the mounting table 13 and the rotor 19 b.
- FIGS. 8A to 8D are diagrams illustrating the example of the operation of the vacuum leak prevention mechanism 19 of FIG. 7 , which illustrates an example of the operation performed when the pressure inside the shell 10 has increased.
- a pulling operation is performed to pull the rod 19 c while the passage for decompression 19 a is in communication with the gas flow passage 19 e.
- Such pulling operation may be performed by an operator or by a control unit provided inside or outside the shell 10 . If the pulling operation is performed by the control unit, the control unit may monitor the pressure inside the shell 10 with a pressure sensor, and perform the pulling operation of the rod 19 c when the pressure exceeds a threshold value. Alternatively, the control unit may pull the rod 19 c when a predetermined period of time has elapsed.
- the rotor 19 b is rotated in a first direction (for example, clockwise) as illustrated in FIG. 8C , to cut off the communication between the passage for decompression 19 a and the gas flow passage 19 e.
- This rotating operation is performed, for example, while a position of the rod 19 c is fixed. This rotating operation may be performed by an operator or by the control unit.
- the vacuum leak prevention mechanism 19 if the pressure inside the shell 10 increases, the decompressed state in the shell 10 can be maintained by pulling the rod 19 c to increase the volume inside the shell 10 substantially. Further, by repeating the above-described operations of rotating the rotor 19 b and reciprocating the rod 19 c, the vacuum state (decompressed state) in the shell 10 can be restored many times.
- an alignment mechanism for aligning the wafer 11 to the probe card 12 when assembling the shell 10 will be described.
- FIG. 9 illustrates another example of the shell 10 .
- the shell 10 illustrated in FIG. 9 is a structure having the wafer 11 , the probe card 12 , the mounting table 13 , the holder 14 , and a plate 15 .
- Multiple DUTs are formed on a surface of the wafer 11 .
- the probe card 12 is an example of an interconnect member, and includes the base 12 a and the multiple probes 12 b.
- the base 12 a is a plate-like member having multiple terminals (not illustrated) on an upper surface of the base 12 a .
- the multiple probes 12 b are an example of a contacting part, and are provided on the lower surface of the base 12 a to allow contact with the electrodes of the DUTs formed on the wafer 11 .
- the mounting table 13 is used to place the wafer 11 on an upper surface of the mounting table 13 .
- a temperature adjusting section (not illustrated) for adjusting a temperature of the wafer 11 placed on the upper surface of the mounting table 13 .
- the temperature adjusting section may be, for example, a Peltier device.
- the holder 14 is positioned to the plate 15 , and is disposed on the plate 15 via a sealing member (not illustrated). In other words, a positional relationship between the holder 14 and the plate 15 is always constant.
- the holder 14 has an annular shape surrounding the wafer 11 , and holds an outer periphery of the probe card 12 .
- a sealing member (not illustrated) is provided at an interface between the probe card 12 and the holder 14 .
- the plate 15 is an example of a first holding section, and holds the mounting table 13 from below.
- the plate 15 is provided with multiple (e.g., three or more) through-holes 15 a through which lifting pins 215 p to be described below can pass.
- FIGS. 10A to 10E are diagrams illustrating an example of an operation performed by the aligning mechanism.
- the aligner 215 a, the lifting pins 215 p, and a camera 215 b are provided, which are major components of the aligning mechanism.
- the position information of the electrodes of the DUT formed on the wafer 11 is acquired by using the camera 215 b provided in the attaching/detaching section 215 .
- the aligner 215 a is moved horizontally to change a position of the mounting table 13 relative to the aligner 215 a in the horizontal direction.
- the amount of travel in the horizontal, direction of the aligner 215 a is determined based on the position information of the electrodes of the DUT acquired by using the camera 215 b and based on position information of the probe 12 b of the probe card 12 .
- the mounting table 13 on which the wafer 11 is placed is mounted on the aligner 215 a by lowering the lifting pins 215 p.
- the holder 14 holding the probe card 12 is attached to the plate 15 , and a space formed by the probe card 12 , the holder 14 , and the plate 15 is decompressed.
- the holder 14 can be attached to a position on the plate 15 that is determined by the positioning pins.
- the probes 12 b of the probe card 12 respectively contact the electrodes of the DUTs formed on the wafer 11 , and the shell 10 in which the wafer 11 and the probe card 12 are integrated is formed.
- the probe card 12 can be aligned to the wafer 11 .
- FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the first temperature adjustment mechanism.
- the cassette unit 220 includes the storage section 221 , a transfer section 222 , and a driving section 223 .
- the storage section 221 stores multiple shells 10 .
- the storage section 221 includes, for example, multiple mounting shelves 221 a , and places the shell 10 on each of the mounting shelves 221 a.
- the storage section 221 is a thermostatic chamber capable of maintaining a predetermined temperature inside, and adjusts a temperature of the multiple shells 10 stored in the storage section 221 .
- the transfer section 222 transfers the shell 10 between the storage section 221 and the multiple inspection units 100 .
- the transfer section 222 includes a transfer robot (not illustrated) such as an articulated robot.
- the transfer robot holds a shell 10 and transfers the shell 10 from the storage section 221 to the shell stocker 214 , or from the shell stocker 214 to the storage section 221 .
- the transfer robot holds a shell 10 and transfers the shell 10 from the storage section 221 to the inspection unit 100 , or from the inspection unit 100 and the storage section 221 .
- the driving section 223 drives the cassette unit 220 .
- the driving section 223 includes, for example, drive wheels, motors for driving the wheels and the transfer robot, and a battery that powers the motors.
- the driving section 223 may include a power receiving unit that can receive electric power by means of, for example, wireless power transfer or power transfer via a rail.
- the temperature of the shell 10 (wafer 11 ) can be adjusted while the shell 10 is being transported by the cassette unit 220 .
- the time required to adjust the temperature of the wafer 11 in the inspection unit 100 can be reduced.
- the period from a time when the shell 10 is transferred to the inspection unit 100 to a time to start the inspection of the wafer 11 can be reduced.
- FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the second temperature adjustment mechanism.
- FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a tester.
- the inspection device 110 includes the stage 111 , a tester 112 , an intermediate connection member 113 , and a lifting mechanism 115 .
- the stage 111 is configured to move up and down between a position for passing the shell 10 between the cassette unit 220 and the stage 111 (a position of the stage 111 illustrated by long dashed short dashed lines) and a position at which the shell 10 is inspected with the shell 10 contacted to the intermediate connection member 113 (a position of the stage 111 indicated by solid lines), by the lifting mechanism 115 .
- the stage 111 includes a main body 111 a, a refrigerant passage 111 b, and a heater 111 c.
- the main body 111 a is approximately the same size as the shell 10 , for example, in a planar view.
- the refrigerant passage 111 b is embedded in the main body 111 a and cools the shell 10 by circulating refrigerant from the chiller 120 .
- the heater 111 c is embedded in the main body 111 a , and heats the shell 10 by electric power supplied from a power supply (not illustrated).
- the stage 111 functions as a second temperature adjustment mechanism to adjust the temperature of the wafer 11 when inspecting electrical characteristics of each DUT formed on the wafer 11 of the shell 10 by the inspection device 110 .
- the tester 112 includes a tester motherboard 112 a, multiple inspection circuit boards 112 b, and a housing 112 c.
- the tester motherboard 112 a is provided horizontally and includes multiple terminals (not illustrated) at the bottom.
- the multiple inspection circuit boards 112 b are attached to respective slots in the tester motherboard 112 a in an upright position.
- the housing 112 c accommodates the inspection circuit boards 112 b.
- the intermediate connection member 113 is a member that electrically connects the tester 112 with the probe card 12 , and includes a pogo frame 113 a and pogo blocks 113 b.
- the pogo frame 113 a is formed of a material of high strength, high stiffness, and a low thermal expansion coefficient, such as a NiFe alloy.
- the pogo frame 113 a includes multiple rectangular fitting holes extending in a thickness direction, into which the pogo blocks 113 b are fitted.
- the pogo blocks 113 b are positioned to the pogo frame 113 a, to connect terminals of the tester motherboard 112 a of the tester 112 with terminals of the base 12 a of the probe card 12 .
- a sealing member 114 is provided between the tester motherboard 112 a and the pogo frame 113 a. By evacuating the space between the tester motherboard 112 a and the intermediate connection member 113 , the tester motherboard 112 a is attracted by suction to the intermediate connection member 113 via the sealing member 114 . Between the pogo frame 113 a and the probe card 12 , a sealing member (not illustrated) is also provided. By evacuating the space between the intermediate connection member 113 and the probe card 12 , the probe card 12 is attracted by suction to the intermediate connection member 113 via the sealing member.
- the inspection device 110 when receiving a shell 10 from the cassette unit 220 , the shell 10 is lifted upward by the lifting mechanism 115 , while the shell 10 is attracted by suction to the stage 111 . At this time, as positioning pins 113 c provided on the lower surface of the intermediate connection member 113 are engaged with positioning holes 12 c provided on the upper surface of the probe card 12 , the probe card 12 is positioned to the tester 112 . Thus, multiple terminals on the upper surface of the probe card 12 are electrically connected to multiple terminals of the tester 112 via the intermediate connection member 113 .
- the wafer 11 is in contact with the stage 111 via the mounting table 13 and the plate 15 , the wafer 11 is cooled by a refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant passage 111 b and/or heated by heat of the heater 111 c, by thermal conduction.
- FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the example of the overdrive amount adjusting mechanism.
- the overdrive amount adjusting mechanism 20 includes a shim plate 20 a and a fastener 20 b.
- shim plates 20 a are provided between the probe card 12 and the holder 14 along a circumferential direction of the holder 14 , to adjust a height of a gap between the probe card 12 and the holder 14 .
- the shim plate 20 a is, for example, a plate-like member, and by adjusting a thickness of the shim plate 20 a, the gap corresponding to the thickness of the shim plate 20 a is created between the probe card 12 and the holder 14 .
- the fastener 20 b secures the probe card 12 to the holder 14 while the shim plate 20 a is provided between the probe card 12 and the holder 14 .
- An example of the fastener 20 b includes a screw.
- the overdrive amount adjusting mechanism 20 by adjusting the thickness of the shim plate 20 a, a distance L 1 between the upper surface of the wafer 11 and the lower surface of the base 12 a of the probe card 12 is changed, and the overdrive amount is adjusted. For example, by making the shim plate 20 a thicker, because the distance L 1 between the upper surface of the wafer 11 and the lower surface of the base 12 a of the probe card 12 increases, the overdrive amount can be reduced. Meanwhile, by making the shim plate 20 a thinner, because the distance L 1 between the upper surface of the wafer 11 and the lower surface of the base 12 a of the probe card 12 decreases, the overdrive amount can be increased.
- FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating another example of the overdrive amount adjusting mechanism.
- the overdrive amount adjusting mechanism 21 includes a piezoelectric actuator 21 a and a power supply section 21 b.
- the piezoelectric actuator 21 a is secured to the holder 14 .
- the piezoelectric actuator 21 a slightly expands (for example, at an order of nanometers to micrometers).
- the distance between the upper surface of the mounting table 13 and the lower surface of the holder 14 varies.
- the power supply section 21 b applies voltage to the piezoelectric actuator 21 a, by being connected to a voltage supply terminal (not illustrated) that is provided externally.
- the overdrive amount adjusting mechanism 21 when the holder 14 holding the probe card 12 is mounted on the mounting table 13 on which the wafer 11 is placed, voltage is applied to the piezoelectric actuator 21 a through the power supply section 21 b, to drive the piezoelectric actuator 21 a . At this time, by applying different magnitudes of voltage to the piezoelectric actuator 21 a, the amount of expansion of the piezoelectric actuator 21 a varies, and the distance between the upper surface of the mounting table 13 and the lower surface of the holder 14 varies. As a result, because the distance L 1 between the upper surface of the wafer 11 and the lower surface of the base 12 a of the probe card 12 changes, the overdrive amount is adjusted.
- the amount of expansion of the piezoelectric actuator 21 a increases.
- the distance L 1 between the upper surface of the wafer 11 and the lower surface of the base 12 a of the probe card 12 increases, and the overdrive amount is reduced.
- the voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator 21 a is reduced, the amount of expansion of the piezoelectric actuator 21 a decreases.
- the distance L 1 between the upper surface of the wafer 11 and the lower surface of the base 12 a of the probe card 12 decreases, and the overdrive amount increases.
- FIGS. 16 and 17 a function to assist (support) determining maintenance timing of the inspection device 110 (hereinafter referred to as a “maintenance support function”) will be described.
- the maintenance support function to be described below is performed by, for example, the controller 116 of the inspection device 110 .
- the maintenance support function may be performed by the management device 300 of the inspection system 1 .
- FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process of the maintenance support function.
- step S 1 the controller 116 starts driving the motor based on a command to move the stage 111 by a predetermined distance.
- step S 2 the controller 116 determines whether the drive of the motor when moving the stage 111 by the predetermined distance includes uniform motion, based on contents of the command. If it is determined in step S 2 that the driving of the motor includes uniform motion, the process proceeds to step S 3 . On the other hand, if it is determined in step S 2 that the driving of the motor does not include uniform motion, the process terminates.
- step S 4 the controller 116 acquires torque data of the motor.
- the acquired torque data is passed, through the controller 116 , to another management system in which the status of the inspection device 110 is determined.
- the controller 116 determines the wear status and timing of grease-up maintenance of parts that transmit driving force of the motor to the stage 111 , such as a linear guide and a ball screw, based on the acquired torque data of the motor.
- FIG. 17 is a graph for explaining an example of the maintenance support function.
- the horizontal axis indicates time [msec]
- a first (left) vertical axis indicates rotational speed of the motor [10 ⁇ 2 rpm]
- a second (right) vertical axis indicates torque of the motor [%].
- a result of measurement of the rotational speed of the motor is illustrated by a solid line
- a result of measurement of the motor torque is illustrated by a dashed line.
- the motor accelerates for a predetermined period of time (a period from 0 msec to 40 msec in FIG. 17 ).
- the motor rotates at a constant speed for a predetermined period of time (a period from 40 msec to 150 msec in FIG. 17 ), then the motor decelerates over a predetermined period of time (a period from 150 msec to 200 msec in FIG. 17 ), and stops.
- the controller 116 performs the maintenance support functions described above. That is, the controller 116 stops acquiring the torque data of the motor when the motor is not rotating at constant speed, and acquires the torque data of the motor only when the motor is rotating at constant speed. This prevents the generation of an excessive amount of data.
- the maintenance support function may be applied to any systems using a motor. For example the maintenance support function can be used to determine maintenance timing of a typical prober.
Abstract
Description
- This patent application is based upon and claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-103182 filed on May 31, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
- The present disclosure relates to an aligning mechanism and an aligning method.
- There is known an inspection apparatus for performing inspection of a substrate. The inspection apparatus includes multiple inspection units, a shared transport robot or a mobile stage. In the inspection apparatus, while the transport robot or the mobile stage is loading a substrate to one of the inspection units, the other inspection units can perform inspection (see
Patent Document 1 for example). - [Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Application Publication No. 2016-046285
- The present disclosure provides a technique for aligning a substrate for inspection.
- An aligning mechanism according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a mounting table on which a substrate is placed; a holding section configured to hold the mounting table from below; lifting pins configured to raise or lower the mounting table with respect to the holding section; and an aligner configured to support the holding section from below, and to change a position of the holding section relative to the lifting pins. In the holding section and the aligner, through-holes are formed such that the lifting pins can penetrate the through-holes.
-
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an inspection system; -
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a shell; -
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a displacement prevention mechanism; -
FIG. 4 is a top view for explaining the displacement prevention mechanism; -
FIGS. 5A and 5B are enlarged views each illustrating a part ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a vacuum leak prevention mechanism of the shell; -
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of the vacuum leak prevention mechanism of the shell; -
FIGS. 8A to 8D are diagrams illustrating an example of the operation of the vacuum leak prevention mechanism ofFIG. 7 ; -
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating another example of the shell; -
FIGS. 10A to 10E are diagrams illustrating an example of the operation performed by an aligning mechanism; -
FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a first temperature adjustment mechanism; -
FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a second temperature adjustment mechanism; -
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a tester; -
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of an overdrive amount adjusting mechanism; -
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating another example of the overdrive amount adjusting mechanism; -
FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process of a maintenance support function; and -
FIG. 17 is a graph for explaining an example of the maintenance support function. - Hereinafter, a non-limiting embodiment, of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals shall be attached to the same or corresponding components and the description thereof will not be repeated.
- First, an overall configuration of an inspection system of an embodiment will be described. The inspection system inspects various electrical characteristics of devices under test (DUTs) formed on an object to be inspected, by applying electric signals to the DUTs. An example of the object to be inspected includes a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a “wafer”).
-
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an inspection system. As illustrated inFIG. 1 , theinspection system 1 includesmultiple inspection units 100, atransport system 200, and amanagement device 300. - The
multiple inspection units 100 are arranged side by side in a lateral direction (X direction inFIG. 1 ) and in a longitudinal direction (Y direction inFIG. 1 ) in the same plane. Each of theinspection units 100 includesmultiple inspection devices 110 and achiller 120. - Each of the
inspection devices 110 receives ashell 10 that is conveyed by acassette unit 220 to be described below, and inspects the electrical characteristics of each DUT formed on awafer 11. Each of theinspection devices 110 includes acontroller 116 that controls the overall operation of thecorresponding inspection device 110. Details of theshell 10 will be described below. - The
chiller 120 cools stages 111 (seeFIG. 12 ) in theinspection devices 110 by supplying a refrigerant, such as cooling water, to a refrigerant passage provided in thestages 111. In the example ofFIG. 1 , onechiller 120 is provided for fourinspection devices 110. However, aseparate chiller 120 may be provided for eachinspection device 110. - The
transport system 200 includesmultiple loader units 210 andmultiple cassette units 220. - The
multiple loader units 210 are arranged in the longitudinal direction (Y direction inFIG. 1 ) in the same plane. Each of theloader units 210 includes aFOUP stocker 211, aprobe card stocker 212, aneedle polishing section 213, ashell stocker 214, an attaching/detachingsection 215, and atransport section 216. - The FOUP
stocker 211 is an area for storing vessels for transfer (i.e.: front opening unified pod [FOUP]) that accommodatemultiple wafers 11. The FOUPstocker 211 is provided with, for example, multiple storage shelves for storing FOUPs. FOUPs are stored into the FOUPstocker 211 from outside of theinspection system 1. The FOUPstocker 211 is accessible by atransport device 216 a in atransport section 216, which will be described below. - A
probe card stocker 212 is an area for storingmultiple probe cards 12. Theprobe card stocker 212 includes, for example, multiple storage shelves for storingprobe cards 12.Probe cards 12 are placed into theprobe card stocker 212 from outside of theinspection system 1. Theprobe card stocker 212 is accessible by thetransport device 216 a in thetransport section 216, which will be described below. - The
needle polishing section 213 is an area in which the tip of aprobe 12 b in theprobe card 12 is polished, to repair theprobe 12 b to which dust or the like is attached. Theneedle polishing section 213 is provided with a needle polishing board for polishing the tip of theprobe 12 b, for example. Theneedle polishing section 213 is accessible by thetransport device 216 a in thetransport section 216 to be described below. - The
shell stocker 214 is an area for storingmultiple shells 10. Theshell stocker 214 includes, for example, multiple storage shelves for storingshells 10. Theshell stocker 214stores shells 10 having been assembled in the attaching/detachingsection 215 and/orshells 10 having been inspected by theinspection unit 100. Theshell stocker 214 is accessible by thetransport device 216 a in thetransport section 216 and thecassette unit 220, which will be described below. - The attaching/detaching
section 215 is an area for assembling theshell 10 into which thewafer 11 and theprobe card 12 are integrated, and is also an area for dismantling theshell 10 into thewafer 11 and theprobe card 12. In the attaching/detachingsection 215, thewafer 11 is aligned by analigner 215 a (seeFIGS. 10A to 10E ) with thewafer 11 attracted and held on a mounting table 13, and theprobes 12 b of theprobe card 12 are connected to respective electrodes of the DUTs by causing theprobes 12 b to contact the respective electrodes. As a result, theshell 10 is formed. Further, in the attaching/detachingsection 215, a set of thewafer 11 and theprobe card 12 that is integrated as theshell 10 is dismantled. The attaching/detachingsection 215 is accessible by thetransport device 216 a in thetransport section 216, which will be described below. - The
transport section 216 is an area that conveys theshell 10, thewafer 11, and theprobe card 12 between the areas. Thetransport section 216 is provided with thetransport device 216 a that conveys theshell 10, thewafer 11, and theprobe card 12. Thetransport device 216 a holds theshell 10, thewafer 11 and theprobe card 12, and transports them between the areas. For example, thetransport device 216 a conveys theshell 10 between the attaching/detachingsection 215 and theshell stocker 214. Thetransport device 216 a conveys thewafer 11 between theFOUP stocker 211 and the attaching/detachingsection 215. Thetransport device 216 a conveys theprobe card 12 between theprobe card stocker 212, theneedle polishing section 213, and the attaching/detachingsection 215. - Each of the
cassette units 220 is a mobile unit that storesmultiple shells 10 and supplies theshells 10 tomultiple inspection units 100. In the example ofFIG. 1 , each of thecassette units 220 transports theshell 10 between theshell stocker 214 in theloader unit 210 and thestage 111 of theinspection device 110. An example of thecassette unit 220 includes an automated guided vehicle (AGV). Thecassette unit 220 runs automatically along aguide line 225, such as a magnetic tape laid on a floor. - The
management device 300 controls operations of themultiple cassette units 220, based on position information of themultiple cassette units 220 measured by a positioning device (not illustrated). For example, themanagement device 300 determines whichcassette unit 220 should be directed to theinspection device 110, based on the position information of themultiple cassette units 220 as measured by the positioning device. For example, themanagement device 300 may determine that thecassette unit 220 positioned closest to aninspection device 110 of interest should be directed to theinspection device 110. Themanagement device 300 may also calculate an optimum route in a case in which thedetermined cassette unit 220 transports theshell 10, and may operate thecassette unit 220 to cause thecassette unit 220 to pass through the optimum route. Themanagement device 300 may acquire the number of theshells 10 stored in astorage section 221 of each of thecassette units 220, and control operations of themultiple cassette units 220 based on the acquired number of theshells 10. As an example, themanagement device 300 may preferentially operate thecassette unit 220 that includes themost shells 10. - The positioning device is not limited to any particular type of positioning device, so long as it can measure and acquire position information of each of the
multiple cassette units 220. An example of a suitable positioning device includes a set of position detecting sensors, each of which is disposed on theguide lines 225 and is capable of detecting passage of thecassette unit 220. Alternatively, the positioning device may be, for example, GNSS receivers, which are installed in therespective cassette units 220 to measure and acquire position information of thecassette units 220, by receiving a positioning signal from a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellite such as a GPS satellite. - Next, an example of the configuration of the
shell 10 will be described.FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of theshell 10. - As illustrated in
FIG. 2 , theshell 10 is a structure including thewafer 11, theprobe card 12, the mounting table 13, and aholder 14. - Multiple DUTs (not illustrated) are formed on a surface of the
wafer 11. - The
probe card 12 is an example of an interconnect member, and includes a base 12 a andmultiple probes 12 b. The base 12 a is a plate-like member having multiple terminals (not illustrated) on an upper surface of the base 12 a. Themultiple probes 12 b are an example of a contacting part, and are provided on the lower surface of the base 12 a. Theprobes 12 b can contact the electrodes of the DUTs formed on thewafer 11. - The mounting table 13 is used to place the
wafer 11 on an upper surface of the mounting table 13. An example of the mounting table 13 is a vacuum chuck that draws and holds thewafer 11. Inside the mounting table 13 is atemperature adjusting section 13 a for adjusting a temperature of thewafer 11 placed on the upper surface of the mounting table 13. Thetemperature adjusting section 13 a may be, for example, a Peltier device. - The
holder 14 is an example of a second holding section, and is provided on the mounting table 13 via a sealingmember 16 a. Theholder 14 has an annular shape surrounding thewafer 11, and holds an outer periphery of theprobe card 12. A sealingmember 16 b is provided on a surface at which theprobe card 12 contacts theholder 14. - The
shell 10 is positioned by positioning pins (not illustrated) while theshell 10 is attracted to thestage 111 of theinspection device 110, and multiple terminals on the upper surface of theprobe card 12 are electrically connected to respective terminals on theinspection device 110. Also, on the upper surface of theprobe card 12, a sealingmember 16 c is provided. - In the
inspection system 1 according to the present embodiment described above, precise positioning (e.g., alignment) is performed at only one location (e.g., loader unit 210), and theshell 10 is assembled at the same location (e.g., loader unit 210). This facilitates transport (handling) of the wafer 11 (shell 10) among multiple devices, such as an inspection device and a test device. - In addition, as the
shell 10 is sealed by the sealingmembers shell 10 is decompressed, the DUTs formed on thewafer 11 and theprobes 12 b of theprobe card 12 remain in contact with each other. By evacuating the interior of theshell 10, the interior is maintained in a decompressed state. However, as theshell 10 is transferred between theshell stocker 214 of theloader unit 210 and thestage 111 of theinspection device 110 by thecassette unit 220, it is difficult to always evacuate the interior of theshell 10. Therefore, for example, by using a “(2) vacuum leak prevention mechanism”, which will be described below the pressure within theshell 10 is made to be lower than the exterior, so that the interior of theshell 10 is maintained in a decompressed state. - In addition, horizontal displacement of an upper member (for example, the holder 14) of the
shell 10 with respect to a lower member (for example the mounting table 13) is avoided by, for example, a “(1) displacement prevention mechanism” which will be described later. - An overdrive amount in the
shell 10 is managed by, for example, an “(5) overdrive amount adjusting mechanism” which will be described below. The overdrive amount means an amount of movement of theprobe 12 b by pressing theprobe 12 b toward awafer 11, from a point at which theprobe 12 b first comes in contact with electrodes of DUTs formed on thewafer 11. - The alignment of the wafer 11 (electrodes of each DUT) to the probe card 12 (
probes 12 b) when assembling theshell 10 is realized by, for example, an “(3) aligning mechanism” to be described below. In this case, a motor drive is used for the alignment. Also, in addition to the motor, various motors are used in theinspection system 1. For the purpose of maintenance or the like of these motors, each of the motors is managed by, for example, a “(6) Maintenance support function” which will be described below. - The
shell 10 is subjected to temperature control during transportation and inspection by, for example, a “(4) temperature adjustment mechanism” which will be described later. - The above-noted (1) to (6) will be described in detail below.
- The mechanism for preventing horizontal displacement between the mounting table 13 and the
holder 14 in the shell 10 (hereinafter referred to as a “displacement prevention mechanism”) will be described, with reference toFIGS. 3 to 5B .FIGS. 3 and 4 are a cross-sectional view and a top view, respectively, for explaining the displacement prevention mechanism.FIGS. 5A and 5B are enlarged views each illustrating a part ofFIG. 3 . - As illustrated in
FIGS. 3 and 4 , thedisplacement prevention mechanism 17 includes positioning pins 17 a anduniversal sockets 17 b. - For example, as illustrated in
FIG. 4 , the multiple (e.g., eight) positioning pins 17 a are arranged along a circumferential direction of theholder 14. Each of the positioning pins 17 a is secured to the upper surface of the mounting table 13. - For example, each of the
universal sockets 17 b is provided at a position corresponding to a corresponding one of the positioning pins 17 a in the horizontal direction, as illustrated inFIG. 4 . That is, the multiple (e.g., eight)universal sockets 17 b are arranged along the circumferential direction of theholder 14. Each of theuniversal sockets 17 b is secured to theholder 14. - Each of the
universal sockets 17 b includes, as illustrated inFIG. 5A for example, asocket 17b 1,multiple springs 17 b 2, andmultiple pins 17 b 3. - The
socket 17b 1 is secured to theholder 14. Thesocket 17b 1 has a shape of a cylinder having a ceiling, and has an opening at a bottom end of thesocket 17b 1. Thesocket 17b 1 is larger than the positioning pins 17 a in a planar view so as to cover thepositioning pin 17 a. Thesocket 17b 1 accommodates themultiple springs 17 b 2, and secures an upper end of each of themultiple springs 17 b 2. - The upper end of each of the
multiple springs 17 b 2 is secured to a ceiling surface of thesocket 17b 1. To a lower end of each of themultiple springs 17 b 2, a corresponding one of thepins 17 b 3 is attached. Each of themultiple springs 17 b 2 is configured to compress when the correspondingpin 17 b 3 is pressed upward. - The upper end of each of the
multiple pins 17 b 3 is secured to the lower end of thecorresponding spring 17 b 2. Each of thepins 17 b 3 has a diameter smaller than that of thepositioning pin 17 a. - In the aforementioned universal socket. 17 b, as illustrated in
FIG. 5B , when part of themultiple pins 17 b 3 are pressed upward by thepositioning pin 17 a, thesprings 17 b 2 corresponding to the pressed pins 17 b 3 are compressed, and the pressedpin 17 b 3 moves upward. Meanwhile, because thespring 17 b 2 corresponding to thepin 17 b 3 that is not pressed by thepositioning pin 17 a does not compress, thepin 17 b 3 that is not pressed by thepositioning pin 17 a does not move upward. Accordingly, even if a force that displaces thepositioning pin 17 a in the horizontal direction is applied to thepositioning pin 17 a, the horizontal movement of thepositioning pin 17 a is restricted, because the side of thepositioning pin 17 a contacts thenon-pressed pin 17 b 3. As described above, thepositioning pin 17 a is positioned by theuniversal socket 17 b. - An example of the mechanism for preventing variation in pressure inside the
shell 10 caused by a vacuum leak and for maintaining a decompressed state in the shell 10 (hereinafter referred to as a “vacuum leak prevention mechanism”) will be described with reference toFIG. 6 .FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the example of the vacuum leak prevention mechanism of theshell 10. - As illustrated in
FIG. 6 , a vacuumleak prevention mechanism 18 includes a passage fordecompression 18 a, a syringe-type piston 18 b, and aspring 18 c. - The passage for
decompression 18 a is a gas flow passage formed inside the mounting table 13, and causes the interior of theshell 10 to communicate with the exterior. - The syringe-
type piston 18 b has a syringe (barrel) 18 b 1 and apiston 18 b 2. Anoutlet port 18 b 3 of the syringe (barrel) 18b 1 communicates with the inside of the passage fordecompression 18 a. By thepiston 18 b 2 being moved relative to the syringe (barrel) 18b 1, the pressure inside theshell 10 is adjusted. - The
spring 18 c is secured at one end, and the other end of thespring 18 c is attached to thepiston 18 b 2. Thespring 18 c is configured to compress as the pressure inside theshell 10 increases. - According to the vacuum
leak prevention mechanism 18, when the pressure inside theshell 10 increases, thespring 18 c compresses and thepiston 18 b 2 is pulled, thereby maintaining the decompressed state inside theshell 10. - Another example of the vacuum leak prevention mechanism will be described with reference to
FIG. 7 .FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of the vacuum leak prevention mechanism of theshell 10. - As illustrated in
FIG. 7 , a vacuumleak prevention mechanism 19 includes a passage fordecompression 19 a, arotor 19 b, and arod 19 c. - The passage for
decompression 19 a is a gas flow passage formed inside the mounting table 13 to cause the interior of theshell 10 to communicate with the exterior. - The
rotor 19 b is disposed on the side surface of the mounting table 13, so as to rotate with respect to the mounting table 13. To maintain airtightness, a sealingmember 19 d is provided between the side surface of the mounting table 13 and therotor 19 b. Inside therotor 19 b, agas flow passage 19 e that can communicate with the passage fordecompression 19 a is formed. As therotor 19 b rotates with respect to the mounting table 13, the state of thegas flow passage 19 e is switched between one in which thegas flow passage 19 e communicates with the passage fordecompression 19 a and one in which it does not communicate with the passage fordecompression 19 a.FIG. 7 illustrates the state in which thegas flow passage 19 e communicates with the passage fordecompression 19 a. - The
rod 19 c is provided in thegas flow passage 19 e, and therod 19 c can move while maintaining airtightness. In a state in which the passage fordecompression 19 a is in communication with thegas flow passage 19 e, the pressure inside theshell 10 increases as therod 19 c is pushed toward theshell 10, and the pressure inside theshell 10 decreases as therod 19 c is pulled outward. In a state in which the passage fordecompression 19 a is not in communication with thegas flow passage 19 e, if therod 19 c is pushed, gas in thegas flow passage 19 e is discharged to the outside of theshell 10 through a gap between the mounting table 13 and therotor 19 b. - An example of an operation of the vacuum
leak prevention mechanism 19 will be described with reference toFIGS. 8A to 8D .FIGS. 8A to 8D are diagrams illustrating the example of the operation of the vacuumleak prevention mechanism 19 ofFIG. 7 , which illustrates an example of the operation performed when the pressure inside theshell 10 has increased. - First, when the internal pressure of the
shell 10 is increased, as illustrated inFIG. 8A , a pulling operation is performed to pull therod 19 c while the passage fordecompression 19 a is in communication with thegas flow passage 19 e. This substantially increases volume of the interior of theshell 10 and maintains a vacuum (decompressed state) of the interior of theshell 10. Such pulling operation may be performed by an operator or by a control unit provided inside or outside theshell 10. If the pulling operation is performed by the control unit, the control unit may monitor the pressure inside theshell 10 with a pressure sensor, and perform the pulling operation of therod 19 c when the pressure exceeds a threshold value. Alternatively, the control unit may pull therod 19 c when a predetermined period of time has elapsed. - Subsequently, as illustrated in
FIG. 8B , when the position of therod 19 c reaches a pulling limit, therotor 19 b is rotated in a first direction (for example, clockwise) as illustrated inFIG. 8C , to cut off the communication between the passage fordecompression 19 a and thegas flow passage 19 e. This rotating operation is performed, for example, while a position of therod 19 c is fixed. This rotating operation may be performed by an operator or by the control unit. - Next, as illustrated in
FIG. 8D , an operation to push therod 19 c Is performed while the rotation of therotor 19 b is stopped. Thus, gas in thegas flow passage 19 e is discharged to the outside of theshell 10, through the gap between the mounting table 13 and therotor 19 b. Thereafter, therotor 19 b is rotated in a second direction (counterclockwise for example), which is opposite to the direction of the first direction, to cause the passage fordecompression 19 a to communicate with thegas flow passage 19 e. This rotating operation is performed, for example, while the position of therod 19 c is fixed. - According to the vacuum
leak prevention mechanism 19, if the pressure inside theshell 10 increases, the decompressed state in theshell 10 can be maintained by pulling therod 19 c to increase the volume inside theshell 10 substantially. Further, by repeating the above-described operations of rotating therotor 19 b and reciprocating therod 19 c, the vacuum state (decompressed state) in theshell 10 can be restored many times. - Referring co
FIGS. 9 andFIGS. 10A to 10E , a mechanism (hereinafter referred to as an “aligning mechanism”) for aligning thewafer 11 to theprobe card 12 when assembling theshell 10 will be described. - First, an example of a configuration of the
shell 10 will be described with reference toFIG. 9 .FIG. 9 illustrates another example of theshell 10. - The
shell 10 illustrated inFIG. 9 is a structure having thewafer 11, theprobe card 12, the mounting table 13, theholder 14, and aplate 15. - Multiple DUTs (not illustrated) are formed on a surface of the
wafer 11. - The
probe card 12 is an example of an interconnect member, and includes the base 12 a and themultiple probes 12 b. The base 12 a is a plate-like member having multiple terminals (not illustrated) on an upper surface of the base 12 a. Themultiple probes 12 b are an example of a contacting part, and are provided on the lower surface of the base 12 a to allow contact with the electrodes of the DUTs formed on thewafer 11. - The mounting table 13 is used to place the
wafer 11 on an upper surface of the mounting table 13. Inside the mounting table 13 is a temperature adjusting section (not illustrated) for adjusting a temperature of thewafer 11 placed on the upper surface of the mounting table 13. The temperature adjusting section may be, for example, a Peltier device. - The
holder 14 is positioned to theplate 15, and is disposed on theplate 15 via a sealing member (not illustrated). In other words, a positional relationship between theholder 14 and theplate 15 is always constant. Theholder 14 has an annular shape surrounding thewafer 11, and holds an outer periphery of theprobe card 12. A sealing member (not illustrated) is provided at an interface between theprobe card 12 and theholder 14. - The
plate 15 is an example of a first holding section, and holds the mounting table 13 from below. Theplate 15 is provided with multiple (e.g., three or more) through-holes 15 a through which lifting pins 215 p to be described below can pass. - Next, an example of an aligning operation by the aligning mechanism will be described with reference to
FIGS. 10A to 10E . The positioning operation by the aligning mechanism described below is performed, for example, in the attaching/detachingsection 215 of theloader unit 210.FIGS. 10A to 10E are diagrams illustrating an example of an operation performed by the aligning mechanism. In the attaching/detachingsection 215, thealigner 215 a, the lifting pins 215 p, and acamera 215 b are provided, which are major components of the aligning mechanism. - First, as illustrated in
FIG. 10A , when theplate 15 is supported by thealigner 215 a provided in the attaching/detachingsection 215, the position information of the electrodes of the DUT formed on thewafer 11 is acquired by using thecamera 215 b provided in the attaching/detachingsection 215. - Subsequently, as illustrated in
FIG. 10B , by raising the lifting pins 215 p provided on the attaching/detachingsection 215, the mounting table 13 on which thewafer 11 is placed is lifted, to separate the mounting table 13 from theplate 15. - Subsequently, as illustrated in
FIG. 10C , thealigner 215 a is moved horizontally to change a position of the mounting table 13 relative to thealigner 215 a in the horizontal direction. The amount of travel in the horizontal, direction of thealigner 215 a is determined based on the position information of the electrodes of the DUT acquired by using thecamera 215 b and based on position information of theprobe 12 b of theprobe card 12. - Subsequently, as illustrated in
FIG. 10D , the mounting table 13 on which thewafer 11 is placed is mounted on thealigner 215 a by lowering the lifting pins 215 p. - Subsequently, as illustrated in
FIG. 10E , theholder 14 holding theprobe card 12 is attached to theplate 15, and a space formed by theprobe card 12, theholder 14, and theplate 15 is decompressed. As positioning pins are provided on theplate 15, theholder 14 can be attached to a position on theplate 15 that is determined by the positioning pins. Thus, theprobes 12 b of theprobe card 12 respectively contact the electrodes of the DUTs formed on thewafer 11, and theshell 10 in which thewafer 11 and theprobe card 12 are integrated is formed. - According to the aligning mechanism, in a system using the
shell 10, theprobe card 12 can be aligned to thewafer 11. - Referring to
FIG. 11 , thecassette unit 220 that functions as a mechanism for adjusting a temperature of the wafer 11 (hereinafter, referred to as a “first temperature adjustment mechanism”) while theshell 10 is transported will be described.FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the first temperature adjustment mechanism. - As illustrated in
FIG. 11 , thecassette unit 220 includes thestorage section 221, atransfer section 222, and adriving section 223. - The
storage section 221 storesmultiple shells 10. Thestorage section 221 includes, for example, multiple mountingshelves 221 a, and places theshell 10 on each of the mountingshelves 221 a. Thestorage section 221 is a thermostatic chamber capable of maintaining a predetermined temperature inside, and adjusts a temperature of themultiple shells 10 stored in thestorage section 221. - The
transfer section 222 transfers theshell 10 between thestorage section 221 and themultiple inspection units 100. Thetransfer section 222 includes a transfer robot (not illustrated) such as an articulated robot. At a position to pass theshells 10 between thestorage section 221 and theshell stocker 214, the transfer robot holds ashell 10 and transfers theshell 10 from thestorage section 221 to theshell stocker 214, or from theshell stocker 214 to thestorage section 221. Also, at a position to pass theshells 10 between thestorage section 221 and theinspection unit 100, the transfer robot holds ashell 10 and transfers theshell 10 from thestorage section 221 to theinspection unit 100, or from theinspection unit 100 and thestorage section 221. - The
driving section 223 drives thecassette unit 220. Thedriving section 223 includes, for example, drive wheels, motors for driving the wheels and the transfer robot, and a battery that powers the motors. Thedriving section 223 may include a power receiving unit that can receive electric power by means of, for example, wireless power transfer or power transfer via a rail. - According to the
cassette unit 220, in a case in which inspection is performed in theinspection unit 100 at a different temperature from room temperature, the temperature of the shell 10 (wafer 11) can be adjusted while theshell 10 is being transported by thecassette unit 220. Thus, the time required to adjust the temperature of thewafer 11 in theinspection unit 100 can be reduced. As a result, the period from a time when theshell 10 is transferred to theinspection unit 100 to a time to start the inspection of thewafer 11 can be reduced. - Next, the
inspection device 110 that functions as a mechanism for adjusting the temperature of a wafer 11 (hereinafter referred to as a “second temperature adjustment mechanism”) when inspecting electrical characteristics of each DUT formed on thewafer 11 of theshell 10 will be described with reference toFIGS. 12 and 13 .FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the second temperature adjustment mechanism.FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a tester. - As illustrated in
FIG. 12 , theinspection device 110 includes thestage 111, atester 112, anintermediate connection member 113, and alifting mechanism 115. - A
shell 10 transported by thecassette unit 220 is placed on thestage 111. Thestage 111 is configured to move up and down between a position for passing theshell 10 between thecassette unit 220 and the stage 111 (a position of thestage 111 illustrated by long dashed short dashed lines) and a position at which theshell 10 is inspected with theshell 10 contacted to the intermediate connection member 113 (a position of thestage 111 indicated by solid lines), by thelifting mechanism 115. Thestage 111 includes amain body 111 a, arefrigerant passage 111 b, and aheater 111 c. Themain body 111 a is approximately the same size as theshell 10, for example, in a planar view. Therefrigerant passage 111 b is embedded in themain body 111 a and cools theshell 10 by circulating refrigerant from thechiller 120. Theheater 111 c is embedded in themain body 111 a, and heats theshell 10 by electric power supplied from a power supply (not illustrated). Thus, thestage 111 functions as a second temperature adjustment mechanism to adjust the temperature of thewafer 11 when inspecting electrical characteristics of each DUT formed on thewafer 11 of theshell 10 by theinspection device 110. - The
tester 112 includes atester motherboard 112 a, multipleinspection circuit boards 112 b, and ahousing 112 c. Thetester motherboard 112 a is provided horizontally and includes multiple terminals (not illustrated) at the bottom. The multipleinspection circuit boards 112 b are attached to respective slots in thetester motherboard 112 a in an upright position. Thehousing 112 c accommodates theinspection circuit boards 112 b. - The
intermediate connection member 113 is a member that electrically connects thetester 112 with theprobe card 12, and includes apogo frame 113 a and pogo blocks 113 b. - The
pogo frame 113 a is formed of a material of high strength, high stiffness, and a low thermal expansion coefficient, such as a NiFe alloy. Thepogo frame 113 a includes multiple rectangular fitting holes extending in a thickness direction, into which the pogo blocks 113 b are fitted. - The pogo blocks 113 b are positioned to the
pogo frame 113 a, to connect terminals of thetester motherboard 112 a of thetester 112 with terminals of the base 12 a of theprobe card 12. - A sealing
member 114 is provided between thetester motherboard 112 a and thepogo frame 113 a. By evacuating the space between thetester motherboard 112 a and theintermediate connection member 113, thetester motherboard 112 a is attracted by suction to theintermediate connection member 113 via the sealingmember 114. Between thepogo frame 113 a and theprobe card 12, a sealing member (not illustrated) is also provided. By evacuating the space between theintermediate connection member 113 and theprobe card 12, theprobe card 12 is attracted by suction to theintermediate connection member 113 via the sealing member. - According to the
inspection device 110, when receiving ashell 10 from thecassette unit 220, theshell 10 is lifted upward by thelifting mechanism 115, while theshell 10 is attracted by suction to thestage 111. At this time, as positioningpins 113 c provided on the lower surface of theintermediate connection member 113 are engaged withpositioning holes 12 c provided on the upper surface of theprobe card 12, theprobe card 12 is positioned to thetester 112. Thus, multiple terminals on the upper surface of theprobe card 12 are electrically connected to multiple terminals of thetester 112 via theintermediate connection member 113. Because thewafer 11 is in contact with thestage 111 via the mounting table 13 and theplate 15, thewafer 11 is cooled by a refrigerant circulating through therefrigerant passage 111 b and/or heated by heat of theheater 111 c, by thermal conduction. - Referring to
FIG. 14 , an example of a mechanism for adjusting an overdrive amount (hereinafter referred to as an “overdrive amount adjusting mechanism”) will be described.FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the example of the overdrive amount adjusting mechanism. - As illustrated in
FIG. 14 , the overdriveamount adjusting mechanism 20 includes ashim plate 20 a and afastener 20 b. -
Multiple shim plates 20 a are provided between theprobe card 12 and theholder 14 along a circumferential direction of theholder 14, to adjust a height of a gap between theprobe card 12 and theholder 14. Theshim plate 20 a is, for example, a plate-like member, and by adjusting a thickness of theshim plate 20 a, the gap corresponding to the thickness of theshim plate 20 a is created between theprobe card 12 and theholder 14. - The
fastener 20 b secures theprobe card 12 to theholder 14 while theshim plate 20 a is provided between theprobe card 12 and theholder 14. An example of thefastener 20 b includes a screw. - According to the overdrive
amount adjusting mechanism 20, by adjusting the thickness of theshim plate 20 a, a distance L1 between the upper surface of thewafer 11 and the lower surface of the base 12 a of theprobe card 12 is changed, and the overdrive amount is adjusted. For example, by making theshim plate 20 a thicker, because the distance L1 between the upper surface of thewafer 11 and the lower surface of the base 12 a of theprobe card 12 increases, the overdrive amount can be reduced. Meanwhile, by making theshim plate 20 a thinner, because the distance L1 between the upper surface of thewafer 11 and the lower surface of the base 12 a of theprobe card 12 decreases, the overdrive amount can be increased. - Another example of the overdrive amount adjusting mechanism will be described with reference to
FIG. 15 .FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating another example of the overdrive amount adjusting mechanism. - As illustrated in
FIG. 15 , the overdriveamount adjusting mechanism 21 includes apiezoelectric actuator 21 a and apower supply section 21 b. - The
piezoelectric actuator 21 a is secured to theholder 14. When voltage is applied to thepiezoelectric actuator 21 a via thepower supply section 21 b, thepiezoelectric actuator 21 a slightly expands (for example, at an order of nanometers to micrometers). As thepiezoelectric actuator 21 a expands, the distance between the upper surface of the mounting table 13 and the lower surface of theholder 14 varies. - The
power supply section 21 b applies voltage to thepiezoelectric actuator 21 a, by being connected to a voltage supply terminal (not illustrated) that is provided externally. - According to the overdrive
amount adjusting mechanism 21, when theholder 14 holding theprobe card 12 is mounted on the mounting table 13 on which thewafer 11 is placed, voltage is applied to thepiezoelectric actuator 21 a through thepower supply section 21 b, to drive thepiezoelectric actuator 21 a. At this time, by applying different magnitudes of voltage to thepiezoelectric actuator 21 a, the amount of expansion of thepiezoelectric actuator 21 a varies, and the distance between the upper surface of the mounting table 13 and the lower surface of theholder 14 varies. As a result, because the distance L1 between the upper surface of thewafer 11 and the lower surface of the base 12 a of theprobe card 12 changes, the overdrive amount is adjusted. - For example, as the voltage applied to the
piezoelectric actuator 21 a is increased, the amount of expansion of thepiezoelectric actuator 21 a increases. As a result, the distance L1 between the upper surface of thewafer 11 and the lower surface of the base 12 a of theprobe card 12 increases, and the overdrive amount is reduced. In contrast, if the voltage applied to thepiezoelectric actuator 21 a is reduced, the amount of expansion of thepiezoelectric actuator 21 a decreases. As a result, the distance L1 between the upper surface of thewafer 11 and the lower surface of the base 12 a of theprobe card 12 decreases, and the overdrive amount increases. - Referring to
FIGS. 16 and 17 , a function to assist (support) determining maintenance timing of the inspection device 110 (hereinafter referred to as a “maintenance support function”) will be described. The maintenance support function to be described below is performed by, for example, thecontroller 116 of theinspection device 110. However, for example, the maintenance support function may be performed by themanagement device 300 of theinspection system 1.FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process of the maintenance support function. - In step S1, the
controller 116 starts driving the motor based on a command to move thestage 111 by a predetermined distance. - In step S2, the
controller 116 determines whether the drive of the motor when moving thestage 111 by the predetermined distance includes uniform motion, based on contents of the command. If it is determined in step S2 that the driving of the motor includes uniform motion, the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2 that the driving of the motor does not include uniform motion, the process terminates. - In step S3, the
controller 116 monitors driving speed of the motor by using, for example, a sensor attached to the motor, and determines whether the driving speed of the motor is constant based on a result of monitoring the driving speed of the motor. If it is determined in step S3 that the driving speed of the motor is constant, the process proceeds to step S4. However, in step S3, if it is determined that the driving speed of the motor is not constant (=accelerating), step S3 is repeatedly executed until the driving speed of the motor becomes constant. - In step S4, the
controller 116 acquires torque data of the motor. In one example, the acquired torque data is passed, through thecontroller 116, to another management system in which the status of theinspection device 110 is determined. In another example, thecontroller 116 determines the wear status and timing of grease-up maintenance of parts that transmit driving force of the motor to thestage 111, such as a linear guide and a ball screw, based on the acquired torque data of the motor. - In step S5, the
controller 116 determines whether the driving speed of the motor is constant based on the monitored driving speed of the motor. If the controller determines that the driving speed of the motor is constant in step S5, the process returns to step S4. Meanwhile, if the controller determines, in step S5, that the driving speed of the motor is not constant (=decelerating), the process terminates. -
FIG. 17 is a graph for explaining an example of the maintenance support function. InFIG. 17 , the horizontal axis indicates time [msec], a first (left) vertical axis indicates rotational speed of the motor [10−2 rpm], and a second (right) vertical axis indicates torque of the motor [%]. InFIG. 17 , a result of measurement of the rotational speed of the motor is illustrated by a solid line, and a result of measurement of the motor torque is illustrated by a dashed line. - As illustrated in
FIG. 17 , after the motor starts driving, the motor accelerates for a predetermined period of time (a period from 0 msec to 40 msec inFIG. 17 ). After the predetermined period of time, the motor rotates at a constant speed for a predetermined period of time (a period from 40 msec to 150 msec inFIG. 17 ), then the motor decelerates over a predetermined period of time (a period from 150 msec to 200 msec inFIG. 17 ), and stops. - If the torque data of the motor is acquired and monitored constantly while the motor is being driven, the amount of the data increases enormously, and may cause communication delay. Thus, in the present embodiment, the
controller 116 performs the maintenance support functions described above. That is, thecontroller 116 stops acquiring the torque data of the motor when the motor is not rotating at constant speed, and acquires the torque data of the motor only when the motor is rotating at constant speed. This prevents the generation of an excessive amount of data. The maintenance support function may be applied to any systems using a motor. For example the maintenance support function can be used to determine maintenance timing of a typical prober. - Although the mechanisms and functions of (1) to (6) have been described in detail above, the above-described mechanisms and functions of (1) to (6) may be used alone, and two or more may be used in combination.
- The embodiments described herein should be considered to be examples in ail respects and not limiting. The above embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various forms without departing from the appended claims and spirit thereof.
Claims (7)
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JP2019103182A JP7267111B2 (en) | 2019-05-31 | 2019-05-31 | Positioning mechanism and positioning method |
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CN112986801A (en) * | 2021-03-09 | 2021-06-18 | 深圳市东方宇之光科技股份有限公司 | Flying needle seat quick fixing mechanism for flying needle testing machine |
TWI745197B (en) * | 2020-12-18 | 2021-11-01 | 鴻勁精密股份有限公司 | Positioning mechanism, handler, tester, and testing equipment |
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KR102243839B1 (en) * | 2018-07-13 | 2021-04-22 | 도쿄엘렉트론가부시키가이샤 | Intermediate connection member and inspection apparatus |
DE112021007343T5 (en) | 2021-03-23 | 2024-05-02 | Kioxia Corporation | Storage system |
JP2024005061A (en) * | 2022-06-29 | 2024-01-17 | 東京エレクトロン株式会社 | Inspection method |
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KR100522975B1 (en) * | 2004-04-17 | 2005-10-19 | (주)지오니스 | An analysis system probing a wafer having a measure of self-operating an array |
JP5189370B2 (en) * | 2006-02-01 | 2013-04-24 | オリンパス株式会社 | Substrate exchange apparatus, substrate processing apparatus, and substrate inspection apparatus |
JP2008103544A (en) * | 2006-10-19 | 2008-05-01 | Yaskawa Electric Corp | Aligner apparatus |
JP4783762B2 (en) * | 2007-08-31 | 2011-09-28 | 東京エレクトロン株式会社 | Substrate mounting table and substrate processing apparatus |
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WO2011074274A1 (en) * | 2009-12-18 | 2011-06-23 | 株式会社ニコン | Pair of substrate holders, method for manufacturing device, separation device, method for separating substrates, substrate holder, and device for positioning substrate |
JP2011187539A (en) * | 2010-03-05 | 2011-09-22 | Sinfonia Technology Co Ltd | Gas charging apparatus, gas discharging apparatus, gas charging method, and gas discharging method |
WO2011161760A1 (en) * | 2010-06-22 | 2011-12-29 | 株式会社アルバック | Substrate placing apparatus provided with alignment function, and film-forming apparatus having the substrate placing apparatus |
TW201201316A (en) * | 2010-06-25 | 2012-01-01 | Ulvac Inc | Substrate mounting apparatus with alignment function and film-forming apparatus having the same |
JP5675239B2 (en) * | 2010-09-15 | 2015-02-25 | 東京エレクトロン株式会社 | Wafer inspection interface and wafer inspection apparatus |
KR101889738B1 (en) * | 2012-09-07 | 2018-09-20 | 세메스 주식회사 | Apparatus and Method for processing a substrate |
CN113035768A (en) * | 2012-11-30 | 2021-06-25 | 株式会社尼康 | Conveying system |
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JP6333112B2 (en) | 2014-08-20 | 2018-05-30 | 東京エレクトロン株式会社 | Wafer inspection equipment |
CN204989244U (en) * | 2015-08-21 | 2016-01-20 | 住友电气工业株式会社 | Detection device |
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JP6803542B2 (en) * | 2016-10-18 | 2020-12-23 | 株式会社東京精密 | Prober and probe inspection method |
JP6861580B2 (en) * | 2017-06-05 | 2021-04-21 | 東京エレクトロン株式会社 | Inspection equipment and inspection system |
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-
2019
- 2019-05-31 JP JP2019103182A patent/JP7267111B2/en active Active
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TWI745197B (en) * | 2020-12-18 | 2021-11-01 | 鴻勁精密股份有限公司 | Positioning mechanism, handler, tester, and testing equipment |
CN112986801A (en) * | 2021-03-09 | 2021-06-18 | 深圳市东方宇之光科技股份有限公司 | Flying needle seat quick fixing mechanism for flying needle testing machine |
Also Published As
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KR102422861B1 (en) | 2022-07-19 |
US11131708B2 (en) | 2021-09-28 |
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KR20200138002A (en) | 2020-12-09 |
JP2020198354A (en) | 2020-12-10 |
JP7267111B2 (en) | 2023-05-01 |
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